IPL 2025: Ishan Kishan shines as SRH secures 44-run victory over RR

Hyderabad, March 23 (NationPress) Ishan Kishan's stunning century was the decisive factor as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) triumphed over Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 44 runs in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday.

This match turned into a thrilling run-fest, with a total of 528 runs being scored across 40 overs, leaving bowlers with a challenging day in Hyderabad. Kishan made a remarkable debut for SRH by scoring his first IPL century, helping the team achieve a score of 286/6, marking the second-highest total in IPL history.

In pursuit of the massive target of 287, Rajasthan faced a tumultuous start, losing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (1), captain Riyan Parag (4), and Nitish Rana (11) within the first five overs. Nevertheless, Impact Substitute Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel revitalized Rajasthan's innings, forming a crucial 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket while keeping the required run rate in sight.

Both players achieved their half-centuries, with Samson scoring his off 26 balls and Jurel off 28 balls. Just when Rajasthan seemed to be gaining control, pacer Harshal Patel changed the game by dismissing Samson (66) in the 14th over. The following over saw spinner Adam Zampa taking out Jurel for 70, which included six sixes and five fours, delivering a significant blow to RR. In the end, despite Shimron Hetmyer and Shubham Dubey's efforts, Rajasthan managed only 242/6 in their 20 overs, with Simranjeet Singh and Harshal Patel claiming two wickets each.

Earlier, with explosive performances from Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, Kishan started his innings on a high note, silencing his critics with his first IPL century.

After being put into bat first, the SRH openers picked up right where they left off last season, with Abhishek launching an assault on the RR bowling in the power-play. He opened his account with back-to-back fours against Fazalhaq Farooqi in the first over.

Head, from the other end, struck four and a six against Maheesh Theekshana in the second over, providing a rapid start for the team. Abhishek reached his full potential with three consecutive fours before Head concluded Farooqi's over with a six, bringing the over's total to 21 runs.

Theekshana eventually broke the opening partnership by dismissing Abhishek for an 11-ball 24 on the first ball of the fourth over. Ishan Kishan joined Head and maintained the momentum with consecutive fours off Theekshana.

In the fifth over, Head welcomed Jofra Archer with a spectacular display, scoring four fours and a six off six deliveries, racking up 23 runs in that over. SRH accumulated 94 runs in the power-play, establishing a strong foundation for their monumental total.

Despite field restrictions, Head notched his first half-century of the season in just 21 balls and formed an 85-run partnership for the second wicket off 39 balls. He was eventually dismissed by pacer Tushar Deshpande in the 10th over, having scored 31-ball 67 with nine fours and three sixes.

Nitish Kumar Reddy came in at No. 4 and continued the assault, hitting two boundaries off Archer in the 11th over.

Kishan launched back-to-back sixes off Archer, reaching his half-century in 25 balls during his SRH debut. He hit another six before sending Farooqi's delivery to the boundary. Reddy also joined the action, dispatching a short ball to deep square before Kishan struck for four on the final ball of that over.

Reddy's (15-ball 30) innings was cut short by Theekshana in the 15th over as SRH crossed the 200-run mark. He was part of a 29-ball 72-run partnership with Kishan, also marking the joint-fastest team 200 in IPL history, equaling a record set by Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings in 2016.

Heinrich Klaasen joined Kishan, and the scoring rate remained high for the franchise in the final phase of the innings due to consistent boundaries. The pair added 56 runs in just 25 balls before Klaasen was dismissed after scoring 34 runs off 14 balls, featuring five fours and a six. Kishan completed his century off 45 balls, becoming the first player of the season to achieve this milestone. He remained not out on 106 runs off 47 balls, with his innings including 11 fours and six sixes.

For Rajasthan, Tushar Deshpande took three wickets while Theekshana finished with figures of 2-52 in his four overs.

Brief scores:

Sunrisers Hyderabad 286/6 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 106 not out, Travis Head 67; Tushar Deshpande 3-44, Maheesh Theekshana 2-52) defeated Rajasthan Royals 242/6 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 70, Sanju Samson 66; Harshal Patel 2-34, Simarjeet Singh 2-46) by 44 runs.